European Facility For Airborne Research April 20, 2024, 05:06
The 6th EUFAR Training Course, jointly financed and organised together with the COST Action OPTIMISE and ESA took place from 6 to 16 July 2015. Entitled, "Spectrometry of a Wetland And Modelling of Photosynthesis with Hyperspectral Airborne Reflectance and Fluorescence (SWAMP)", the training course was hosted by the Poznan University of Life Sciences in Obrzycko-Rzecin near the instrumented POLWET wetland study site, Poland.
This training course aims to educate and train the participants how to plan and conduct an airborne research and (near-)ground validation campaign and how to use the collected data. If the conditions allow, the training course will include an airborne campaign with the APEX imaging spectroradiometer mounted in the DLR Dornier 228 aircraft combined with a concurrent ground campaign and near-ground campaign with small UAV platforms and satellite data acquisitions at the instrumented POLWET wetland study site. All these platforms and sensors will be used to determine Earth surface reflectance and fluorescence which play a role in supporting satellite mission design and use (e.g. FLEX) and which to support multi-scale (“leaf to ecosystem”) land-atmosphere exchange modelling studies.
20 early-stage researchers (PhD students and post-docs), including university lecturers from 12 different European member states and associated states (selected from 47 applications), funded by EUFAR and OPTIMISE, participated in the SWAMP training course.
The main aim of the SWAMP training course was to teach early-stage researchers and university lecturers how to plan and conduct an airborne research and (near-) ground validation campaign and how to use the collected data.
The 11-day training course included:
- lectures on field measurements, UAV measurements, airborne measurements with APEX, Sentinel-2 and FLEX satellite missions, data processing and modelling, …
- demonstration of field equipment and UAVs,
- tutorials on APEX processing, ARTMO, SPECCHIO, SCOPE, pktools, …,
- field measurements, UAV and airborne (HYPLANT in CzechGlobe aircraft on 11th July - funded by ESA and APEX in DLR DO228 on 15th July - funded by EUFAR) data acquisition
- student activities in 5 scientific working groups guided by 5 scientific working group supervisors
- scientific working group presentations.
Click here, to visit the photo gallery.
This training course aims to educate and train the participants how to plan and conduct an airborne research and (near-)ground validation campaign and how to use the collected data. If the conditions allow, the training course will include an airborne campaign with the APEX imaging spectroradiometer mounted in the DLR Dornier 228 aircraft combined with a concurrent ground campaign and near-ground campaign with small UAV platforms and satellite data acquisitions at the instrumented POLWET wetland study site. All these platforms and sensors will be used to determine Earth surface reflectance and fluorescence which play a role in supporting satellite mission design and use (e.g. FLEX) and which to support multi-scale (“leaf to ecosystem”) land-atmosphere exchange modelling studies.
The target audience is early-stage researchers (PhD students and post-docs) and a limited number of university lecturers working in an institution established in a European Member State or Associated State. For the early-stage researchers, a strong scientific knowledge-base (in physics, geography, geology, biology, chemistry, bio-engineering or civil engineering) and some experience in the use of geo-information software is required to participate in this training course.
The participants of the SWAMP training course will be selected by the EUFAR and OPTIMISE Education and Training Committee based on CV/scientific background, interest, expectations and contribution to the training course and campaign.
All trainees should confirm that they have travel and field work insurance provided by their home institute before attending the course.
From July 6-16 2015, self introduction of students, lectures (theory and case studies), tutorials, demonstration and training in ground equipment and UAVs, and -if the aircraft flight planning allows - a visit to the Dornier DO228 and APEX imaging spectroradiometer are planned. Participants with the assistance of Scientific Working Group leaders and the APEX flight campaign manager and operator will be able to develop their own (near-)ground sampling strategies and APEX flight plans for acquiring data of the POLWET wetland study site. If the weather conditions allow, scientific flights over the POLWET study site will be performed preferably in the flight window 12-14 July 2015. In parallel with the flight campaign, (near-)ground measurements will be performed by the Scientific Working Groups at the POLWET site. Archived and acquired data will be processed and analysed with the help of experienced tutors.
On 16 July 2015, the Scientific Working Groups will present their experiment and preliminary results based on data acquired during the training course or archived data.
A final programme is available here.
The programme is subject to changes caused by weather conditions.
Scientific Group Presentations
Other Presentations
EUFAR: Education and Training Opportunities
Working Group Scientific Reports available here (accessible to registered EUFAR members).
The training course will take place at the Obrzycko Palace complex. Surrounded by an impressive 22 ha historical park (dating back from 1862), the Palace offers accommodation and conference facilities. The Obrzycko Palace is located 25 km from the POLWET experimental site and 50 km from the Poznan Lawica airport.
Address: Palace Obrzycko 64-520 Obrzycko, Zamek 1 Tel. +48 (61) 2913280 www.palac-obrzycko.pl
Travel and subsistence expenses will be 100% supported by EUFAR (this includes travel to training course location, transfers, accommodation, meals, etc.). Hotel rooms in Palace Obrzycko will be booked and paid directly by the EUFAR Office.
All travel tickets will be booked and paid directly by the EUFAR Office (unless agreed otherwise with the EUFAR Office in advance). This is to avoid complicated procedures for later reimbursement.
Flight/ train tickets must be booked, if reasonably possible, at least 2 months before the departure date in order to get the most favourable rate. All travel must be done at the economical rate.
It is mandatory for the OPTIMISE funded participants to stay in the hotel arranged for this training course (Palace Obrzycko) and take all meals either at the arranged hotel or as arranged by the training course organisers.
For OPTIMISE funded participants, hotel rooms in Palace Obrzycko will be reserved by the Host of the training course, that is the Poznan University of Life Sciences .
OPTIMISE funded students will also be responsible for paying their flight and hotel room, and will be reimbursed (with a maximum amount of 1000 euros) after the training course.